Sen. Brown stresses vaccination in visit to Toledo-Lucas County Health Department

TOLEDO, Ohio (WTVG) - Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown was in Toledo on Wednesday as part of a statewide tour of vaccination clinics. He made a stop at the Toledo-Lucas County Health Department to tour the onsite clinic and speak to healthcare providers and local leaders.

During the stop, Brown stressed the need for all Ohioans who can get vaccinated to do so.

“The most important thing we can do to defeat this pandemic, get our economy moving again, and get people back to work, school, and their lives, is to get everyone vaccinated as soon as possible. That’s what the American Rescue plan is doing – getting get shots in the arms of millions of Ohioans,” said Sen. Brown during the stop. “We can’t let up now. The more Ohioans who get vaccinated, the more businesses can reopen, the more kids can get back to schools, and the more families will be reunited.”

The senator’s tour comes as vaccination rates in Ohio -- and across the country -- continue to slow, even as more Americans become eligible to receive them. In his most recent press conference, Gov. DeWine pointed out that the drop off in vaccinations in the state over the last few weeks has been significant. That drop is concerning for local leaders and health officials, as it could stand in the way of reaching herd immunity, an important milestone in the effort to return to pre-pandemic norms.

Despite the drop-off, Lucas County has managed to become one of the most vaccinated counties in the state, ranking in the top 20 out of 88. That statistic comes at the same time the county battles the highest rate of positive cases of coronavirus statewide for several weeks running, a number that is at least partly due to the proximity to Michigan, where cases have exploded.

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